Life & Death
📋 What it is
Whether a surrounded group can make two eyes decides if it lives or dies — the core reading skill of Go.
🗣️ Coach says
Most fights come down to one question: can this group make two eyes before it's surrounded? "Life and death" problems train you to see the vital point — often a single move makes the group alive OR kills it. Reading these out is the heart of getting strong.
🧠 Memory hook
One question wins fights: can it make two eyes in time? Find the vital point.
😂 Giggle
Why did the beginner play on a 9x9 board first?
Because a smaller board is a gentler place to learn!
😲 Whoa!
Go players solve "tsumego" (life-and-death puzzles) for years — professionals have solved tens of thousands, the way a musician practises scales.
✅ Quick check: What single question usually decides whether a surrounded group lives or dies?
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
Can it make two separate eyes (in time)? If yes, it lives; if the opponent can prevent the second eye, it dies.
Life and death reduces to whether two eyes can be formed.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Find one simple tsumego online, cover the answer, and try to spot the move that makes two eyes.